Doge to be given greater powers to expand cuts: live updates

President Donald Trump signed an executive order to shrink the federal workforce, with Elon Musk, serving as the head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), present at the Oval Office signing.

The order introduces measures to streamline government agencies by imposing hiring restrictions and potentially implementing “large-scale” workforce reductions.

“The people voted for major government reform,” Musk told reporters at the signing ceremony, adding that is what the people would get.

It comes as DOGE announced it was terminating $881 million worth of Education Department contracts ahead of an expected executive order from Trump closing the department down.

Follow Newsweek’s live blog for all the latest updates.

06:45 AM EST

Grimes critical of Elon Musk’s decision to take their son to Oval Office event

Elon Musk, joined by his son X Æ A-Xii, speaks during an event with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House, Tuesday, February 11, 2025, in Washington.

Alex Brandon/AP Photo

Grimes, the Canadian singer who has three children with Elon Musk, criticized the billionaire for taking their eldest son X to a public event in the Oval Office.

“He should not be in public like this,” she said in a post on X, the social-media site owned by her ex-partner and formerly known as Twitter.

He should not be in public like this. I did not see this, thank u for alerting me. But I’m glad he was polite. Sigh

— 𝖦𝗋𝗂𝗆𝖾𝗌 ⏳ (@Grimezsz) February 12, 2025

The musician, whose real name is Claire Boucher, was in a relationship with Musk from 2018 to 2022.

06:33 AM EST

What cuts have been made at Department of education? Nearly $1B slashed

Almost $1 billion in cuts have been made to the Department of Education by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The fate of the department’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES), which tracks the progress of the nation’s students, remains unclear after scores of contracts were terminated by Musk’s team on Monday, according to the Associated Press.

Elon Musk’s Son X steals the show

Elon Musk Joins President Trump — President Donald Trump is joined by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, and his son, X Musk, during an executive order signing in the Oval Office at the White House on February 11, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

06:23 AM EST

Trump directs Doge to shrink federal workforce: read full executive order

The order is the latest move in Trump’s broader effort to downsize the federal government. With Musk leading DOGE, the administration pushes to deliver private-sector efficiency to government functions. Critics and legal challenges are expected as the administration pushes forward with cuts and restructuring.

Read the full text of the executive order on Newsweek